Spark plug



E. MINGE SPARK PLUG Sept. 23 1924.

Filed Jan. 2o. m21

Patented s'epezs, 1924. e

ulsu'reo4 STA s PATENTOFFICE.

EINAR. llumen, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.'

s rAmI rule.

pplication led January 20, 1921. Serial No. 438,565.

' To all whom t n'wly camera: v

Be it known that I, EINAR MINGE, a former subject of the King of Norway (who has forsworn his allegiance to said King Iof Norway .and declared his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States), anda resiy -dent of the city of Chicago, county lof Cook,

and State 0f Illinois, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsA in ,Spark- .lugs, of which the following'is a speclcation.A

My invention relates to new and. useful improvements in spark plugs, and vhas for an object the provision of a combination spark4 plug and priming cup. v

Another object is to prevent the formation of carbon in the spark plug;

l through the f scribed and claimed.

And a further object is to admit air priming means to improve the gas mixture.

Other objects will appear hereinafter. The invention consists in` the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter de- The invention will be best understood b'y reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,- and in l l which,

having a threaded end 11, adapting the dei vice to be attached to the cylinder (not shown) of an automobile engine or similar' combustion engine. Awire 12 is connected to the. threaded end Aofthe. plug and contains a curved portion 13 at its center. Said plug embraces an insulating member 14, of porcelain or the like, carrying a vsleeve 15 at its center andhavinga c up 16 formedlat its upperl end, in which is seated a metalhc disk or screen 17, provided with perforations 18 and carrying a binding post 19 to which the,v

-terminal wire 20 is connected. A fibrous Hcupr21 i s mounted above said disk 17 and a similar cup 22inounted below the same wlth their vopen ends joining, and a mica disk 23 'is placed overperforations 24 provided in the top end of the upper cup. A stem 25 passes through a large central opening 26 -in .the metallic disk and through suitable openings in the mica disk and the ends of the cups 21 and 22. vA valve head 28 is mounted on the lower end of said stem which seats in the valve seat 29 provided in the bottom of the sleeve 15, and a conducting wire 30 projects downward from'v said stem in close proximity with the wire 12, therewith form- 1ng the usual spark gap for the 'plu A sprin 31 surrounds the upper end o said' stem earin on the mica disk below and against a pair of lock nuts 32 abover Said nuts are adjustable on tle stem to permit varying the tension in t e spring and to thereby 'adjust the resistance ofthe valve and j regulate the amount of air admitted through the valve on each suction stroke.

In this form ofthe invention the currentl passes from the wire 20 onto the metallic disk 17, jumps across the opening 26 to the 1 stem 25, which forms the upper spark gap,

continuing down said stem and wire 30 to the wire'12 at the lower end of the spark V.gapp lThe cup-shaped members 21 and 22 form a housing through the upper openings of which the upper spark gap may be viewed and to-.prevent any gas forming in the cup `from 'entering the upper spark'\gap; and in view ofthe factfthat the upper and lower spark gaps are connected in series, the firing of the upper gap would indicate that the lower gap is also firing and that the electric elementsare functioning properly.

The form illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 comprises a'screw threaded plug 50 embracing an insulating.memberv 51 which carries.

a cup 5,2 at its-upper portion and a sleeve 53 at its interior which is provided with a valve seat 54 (zo-operating with a valve headmounted on a stem 56 rovided at its lower end with a spark wire- 5 which cooperates with a plate 58 formed at the middle portion of the conductor 59 attached to the lower Aend of'said plug. A meta-1 clip y 60 is mounted `'on the upper edge or. rim of -the cup 52 and is provided with a binding post 61 to which is connected the terminal wire 62; from the clip 60 a wire 63 extends to the upper end of the stem 56 where 1t 1s held in position by a pair of adjustin nuts 64.- A pair of disks 65 are mounte in a circular groove in said cup landare each prolvided with a pair of co-operating slots' 66 of the metal clip and the wire connecting same with the stem, the direct load is taken off from the stem. The upper disk may be turned with respect to the lower one and the effective openings 66 varied to govern thev amount of air to be admitted through the sleeveand to ythe firing gap existing' between the wires 57 and the late 58. The

wire" 57 is made of suitable ength so that its lower end will impinge u on the plate 58 to remove the carbon there rom upon the extreme downward kmotion of the stem during each suction stroke of the cylinder pistion, and may also be Apushed down and turned on the plate to remove such carbon.

This` construction is effective in preventing the usual formation of carbon upon the contact member or spark element connected to the lower end of the spark plug.

It is thus evident .that I have provided in both of these forms a combination spark plug and priming cup which may be used as a priming cup by merely depressing the valve stem in the cup permittmg gasolineor any similar fluid to pass to the spark gap, and have also provided a means which will permit air to be taken in to the device upon each suction stroke, but remaining closed upon the three other strokes. This admission o air serves to break up the gas particles in the cylinder and improve the gas mixture, thus acting as a gas saver. The air thus' `d rawn through the spark plug into the cylinder upon each suction stroke ofthe piston of said cylinder prevents the formation of carbon at the lower end of the spark plug and at the spark gap.

While lI have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carryingmy inventioninto effect, this vis, capable of variation and modification withspark plug provided with an insulating member having an inteffral cup at its upper end,y a perforated member. mounted 1n said cup, a conductor movably mounted in said vinsulating member and passing throu h saidl perforated member, said conductor aving an electric terminal at its top and a terminal wire secured to its bottom engageable with a terminal on the bottom of said plug,

a head on said conductor forming a valve in conjunction with the lower portion of said insulating member, and spring means seated on said perforated member for normally retaining said va'lve closed and said bottom terminals separated.

3. A spark plug provided withan insulating -member having a cup at its upper end, means mounted on the upper edge of said cup carrying the upper binding post, and an electric conductor leading from said binding post through said member and forming a spark gap at the lower end of said plug.

'4. A spark plug provided with an insulating member havlng a cup at its upper end, a clamping bracket mounted on thel upper edge of said cup carrying the ,upper binding post, a member bridging the lower end of said plug, and an electric conductor between said binding post and said .bridging member flexibly connected with sa1d post and forming a spark gap with said v bridging member.

5. In Jadevice of the class -described a spark plug provided with an insulating member havin an integral Ycup at. its upper en d, perforate disk means mounted in said cup,a conductor movably mounted in said insulating member and passing through said perforated diskmeans, a terminal Wire secured to the bottom of saidco-nductor, a cooperating terminal member extending across the: bottom of said plug, a member on said conductor forming a valve in conjunction with thel lower portion of said insulating member, and sprmg means supported by said perforated disk -means for normally retaining said valve closed ,and said bottom terminals separated.

6. A spark plug provided with an insulating member having a priming cup at the upper end, means extending through said insulating member providing a vfluid conduit from said cup to the lower end of said plug, a valve in said conduit, a s ring to close said valve, and means mounte in said lcup to' regulate the amount of fluid to be admitted to said conduit.

7. A spark plug pro ided with an insuy lati-ng member having a primin cup formed integral with its upper end, a s eeve extending through said insulating member providing a fluid conduit from said cup to the lower end of said spark plug and a pair of cooperating perforated members mounted in said cup to regulate the amount of Huid to be admitted to said conduit.

' 8. A spark plug attachable to an internal combustion engine and being provided with an insulating member having a riming cupat its upper end, means extending through saidY insulating member providing a fluid conduit from saidpcup to the lower end of said spark plu valve means mounted in said conduit an arranged to open automat.

name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, EINAR MINGE Y Witnesses: Y

JOSHUA R.' H. Po'rrs, FREDA C. ArPLE'roN. 

